Ear straightener for corn pickers



4 June 16, 1942. B, M,- HYMAN HAL 22863279 EAR STRAIGHTENER FOR com:

Filed 001:. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors Bezzaamz'znlfliyman Q, fleozorCFezsga/son June 16, 1942. HYMAN HAL 2,286,279

EAR STRAIGHTENER FOR CORN PICKERS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 36 l'zwszztars 37' fienrarm inlfiliyman- 126C to'rCiFsr (15011 u 16, 1942 B. M. HYMAN Em 2,286 279- EAR STRAIGHTENER FOR CORN PICKERS Filed 001;. 9, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I12 U612 tors a] O BenJamz'n-Mgyman Patented June 16, 1942 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EAR STRAIGHTENER FOR CORN PICKERS Benjamin M. Hyman, Moline, 111., and Rector C.

Fergason, La Porte, Ind., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 9, 1939, Serial No. 298,554

2 Claims. 101. 130-5) This invention relates to an ear straightener l5. The corn picker includes a conveyer l6 exfor corn pickers. tending from a gathering unit, not shown, and The husking mechanism of a corn picker condischarging through a hood or chute portion l1 sists of at least a pairof husking rolls along into a husker l8. The husker includes at least which ears are fed, and the husks are stripped 5 a pair of downwardly extending husking rolls l9, therefrom by the rotation of the rolls. For proper and an ear forwarder comprising an endless belt husking, it is desirable that the ears be fed along 29 having a pair of rows of ear flaps 2| secured the rolls with their length parallel to the rolls. thereto. Beneath the husking rolls is a husk An object of the present invention is to provide conveyer 22 in th form of an endless belt. A

an ear straightener for a husker. l fan 23 is located within the husk conveyer 22. A A further object is the provision of a device beater 24 ispositioned adjacent the discharge end for causing ears of corn to be husked to come into of the husking conveyer 22 and serves to prevent contact with the husking roll with their axes parthe entangling of the husks with the axle l2 and alleling those of the rolls. framework l5. Adjacent the lower or discharge Another object is to provide an ear straightener end of the husking r011 I9 is an auger conveyer 25 for a husking mechanism which is self-cleaning. which is adapted to transfer husked ears later- According to the present invention, an ear forally to a wagon elevator 26. I warder comprising an endless belt provided with The ear straightener of the present invention ear flaps is positioned over the husking rolls in will now be described. It comprises essentially a spaced relation to one end thereof. An ear curved rod 21, the lower end of which extends straightener comprising an oscillatable rod is down to the husking rolls and between the rows mounted over the husking rolls so as to move back of ear flaps 2|, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. and forth along the rolls from a position between The upper end of the rod 21 is secured by a clamp the flaps at the end of the ear forwarder. The 28 to a member 29 of square section. The member action of the straightener is to push back along 29 is rotatably mounted by means of bearing the rolls any ears or other material which fall members 30 and 3| journaled in plates 32 and 33 cr0ss-wise of the rolls and thereby eventually to secured to the shell H. An end 34 of the member cause the ears and other material to extend lon- 29 is curved to extend at right angles to the body gitudinally of the rolls. The passing of the of the member 29 and has an opening therein straightener between the flaps of the ear for- 30 which receives the end of a link 35. The other warder assures the automatic cleaning of the end of the link 35 is pivoted in a crank 36 secured straightener. to an idler gear 3'! rotatably mounted on the In the drawings: husker I8. The gear 31 is driven by a chain 38 Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts rewhich drives another idler gear 39 and is itself moved of the husking unit of a corn picker; 35 driven by a gear 40 which is in turn driven by Figure 2 is a side view of a portion of a husking a drive shaft 4| driving the ear forwarder. Rotaunit showing the manner in which the novel ear tion of the gear 31 effects an oscillation of the straightener is mounted and driven; end 34 of the member 29 and. consequently an Figure 3 is an end view of the parts of Figure 2; oscillation of the ear straightener rod 21. Thus, Figure4isa longitudinal sectional view through 40 the rod 21 has a movement of oscillation about the husking unit; and, an axis included in the member 29 transverse of Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of the axis of the husking rolls in a plane parallel Figure 4. to the axes of the husking rolls.

The corn picker with which the ear straight- The operation of the ear straightener is as ener of the present invention is associated is follows: shown and claimed in applicants copending ap- Ears of corn are conveyed from the gathering plication, Serial No. 210,464, filed May 27, 1938. unit of the corn picker by the conveyer l6 and Only so much of the corn picker as pertains to dumped through the opening in the shell I! onto the ear straightener will be described in the presthe upper end of the husking roll l9. The cars ent i v ntion. and other material tend to slide down along the As shown in Figure 4, there is the rear portion husking rolls and are aided therein by the ear of a tractor Ill having a body portion l I, rear axle forwarder. Rotation of the husking rolls causes l2 and rear wheels I3, of which only one is shown. the husks to be stripped from the ears and to fall A com picker [4 is positioned over the rear axle upon the husk conveyer 22. The action of the I2 and is carried thereby by means of framework oscillating ear straightener rod 21 is to kick husks or other material which has fallen transversely of the rolls. The result is to straighten the ears and whatever other material there may be so that they may be fed longitudinally of the rolls. The other material, which may include corn stalks, leaves or husks, will be fed down through the rolls to the husk conveyer so long as they extend longitudinally of the rolls. If the corn stalks, etc., fell transversely of the husking rolls and there were no straightener, there would be a clogging of the rolls and possibly an eventual stopping of the mechanism. The rod 21 is self-cleaning or self-wiping in that it passes between the rows of flaps 2| and they scrape off any material that may have become entangled with the rod.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a new and novel ear straightener device has been provided. The ear straightener insures an arranging of the ears and any foreign material longitudinally of the rolls so that the ears may be husked and the foreign material properly fed between the rolls down to thehusk conveyer. The ear straightener is self-cleaning.

The intention is to limit the invention only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, husking rolls, an ear forwarder extending along the rolls from a point spaced from one end thereof and comprising a carrying means and flaps spaced longitudinally and extending downwardly toward the husking rolls at an angle to the carrying means, and an oscillatable ear straightener positioned over the end of the husking rolls from which the ear forwarder is spaced, and means for moving the flaps of the ear forwarder lengthwise in wiping relation with respect to the ear straightener and longitudinally of the rolls in pressing engagement therewith.

2. In combination, downwardly extending husking rolls, conveying means discharging onto the upper end of the rolls, an ear forwarder comprising an endless belt extending and forwarding from a point spaced from the upper end of the husking rolls and having rows of flaps secured thereto and normally maintained at an angle to the belt over the husking rolls, and an ear straightener comprising a member positioned over the rolls and oscillatable about an axis extending at right angles to the rolls from a position at one end of the ear forwarder allowing wiping engagement with the flaps on the forwarder, the movement of the ear straightener being in a plane transverse to the plane in which the bushing rolls lie,'the movement of the flaps during wiping engagement with the straightener being lengthwise of the straightener.

BENJAMIN M. HYMAN. RECTOR C. FERGASON. 

